


The Gay Cousin

by Kolokan



Category: Milo Murphy's Law
Genre: Gender Identity, Instead I wrote this, It isn't very long, LGBT, LGBTQ Character, LGBTQ Themes, Sexual Identity, i should sleep
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-02-16
Updated: 2019-02-16
Packaged: 2019-10-29 13:31:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 894
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17808878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Kolokan/pseuds/Kolokan
Summary: Short story in which our lonely fandom child Sara Murphy searches for her gay cousin. Inspired by the Christmas Peril and my friend.





	The Gay Cousin

Sara Murphy was excited. Normally, she would be excited about things like a _Dr. Zone_ or _Supernatural_ special, or finally finding a bootleg broadway musical in optimal viewing quality, or even just a really good fanfiction. 

However, Sara, driving the car to the airport, felt excited about something quite different. She eyed the road pleasantly, enjoying the chattering of Melissa, Zack, and her brother Milo. The snow was thickening steadily, and although she was driving, she had no problem with that. Snow was romantic, the stuff of novel and movie scenes where the protagonists admit to being in love with each other.

“Whatcha thinkin’ about?” Milo beeped at Sara with a gigantic, ridiculous smile.

Caught off-guard, she stammered, turning the car, “O-Oh, it’s nothing. I’m just thinking about a Christmas special from the Adjunct Faculty Member Zone series.”

“A classic,” Milo replied, his goofy smile unwavering. Sara felt guilty for lying to that face. 

Really, Sara was thinking about that very thing exciting her. Meeting her family members for Christmas. She had been thinking for quite a while how relieving it would be to have an LGBT family member. She didn’t quite understand why. 

***

After everything, Sara sat with her family members, searching for faces that stuck out. But how could sexuality really be reflected clearly? Through motions and mannerisms, clothing and wording? Those categories were broad and biased. Gendered mannerisms existed, and laid out normativity, but straight cisgender people could still give off typical mannerisms stereotyped to LGBT people.

She approached her cousin Jeremy, remembering the last holiday on which she’d seen him. “Hey Jeremy! How’s it been hanging?” She awkwardly said, doing unnecessary gestures with her arms for emphasis. 

He seemed distraught with her forced enthusiasm, evidently suppressing a cringe. “Uh, just fine, dude. Was kinda wishing I could just stay home and play Call of Duty, but here I am,” Jeremy lamely complained. 

Although Sara had just internally berated herself with the dilemma of assuming someone’s sexual and gender identity based on their mannerisms, she felt she had sufficient evidence that Jeremy was cis and straight. Even if he wasn’t, she was dismayed with him anyway. “Cool, happy holidays!” She deadpanned, quickly evading further conversation from the pessimistic incel of a cousin.

Glancing at the others standing around, Sara profiled them based on outfits. Seeing a particularly deviant outfit, she sensed gay rebellion. She walked over to another cousin of hers, whom she couldn’t remember the name of. “Uh, …” Sara cut herself off, unable to remember her name and not having any idea of what to say. A blank expression was plastered on her face.

The unnamed family member, dressed in a black shirt with black and white leggings, shook her head confusedly. “You okay?” She asked Sara with a genuine concern in her voice. 

“Sorry, I totally forgot your name--” 

“Mindy.”

Sara’s entire face went red at that reaction. “Oh, I'm sorry Mindy, just trying to start a conversation. You know, what our parents would always hassle us about doing,” Sara said as she laughed at her own joke, but Mindy made a distant and unaffected expression that brought Sara to stifle her laughter. _Who ran over her dog?_ Sara thought stubbornly, starting to back away from yet another conversation.

On a list inside of her mind, she crossed out the names “Mindy” and “Jeremy”. No matter their identity, they both definitely didn’t match with her. 

Sighing, she was ready to give up. But then someone tapped on her shoulder. Turning her head, Sara noticed a freckled face looking at her kindly. “Oh, hello!” 

“Hi, I’m Suzy. You probably don’t remember me… anyway, is that Dr. Zone merch? I _love_ Dr. Zone!” She squealed.

“Yes! Yes it is!” Sara bursted out in joy. And hopefully… “Dr. Zone is my favorite. Uh, I have my fair share of critique for the character dynamics and arcs in Dr. Zone though, even if I’ll always love the show…” Sara hinted, trying to provoke talk of gayness and the subtext of Time Ape and Dr. Zone, and the intricate argument that they shouldn't have been canonically brothers.

“Don’t fret, fellow Murphy. I _wholeheartedly_ agree,” Suzy said eagerly.

Relief flooding in, Sara felt her happiness hit a high. “What’s your main issue?”

Suzy, flattered Sara asked, went off, “Well, it’s just that Celesté and Dr. Zone deserved more screen-time together. I may be biased since it’s my number one ship!” 

There it went crashing down again. Sara’s happiness, declining quickly like it just began rolling down a steep hill. “You mean you ship Celesté… the underage girl who blames Dr. Zone for her parents’ deaths… with Dr. Zone?”

Offended, Suzy spat, “Well he tried to make things right with her! That’s why he even travelled back in time in the first place. To make her happy!”

It was revolting to listen to a teenager nearly as old as herself defend this. Unfortunately, Sara mentally crossed out a third name. “I see what you mean,” Sara lied humbly to diffuse the situation. After all that, she walked away, sitting at a table all alone. It was like every single person was hetero and cisnormative. And what about that tweet that said every family has a gay cousin? _That tweet lied to me,_ Sara internally grumbled.

“WAIT!” She exclaimed out loud. “IT’S ME!”

“I’m the gay cousin.”


End file.
